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3 Geek-Culture Quotes and How to Apply Them to Your Small Business

Geek culture is full of colorful characters with no shortage of memorable things to say. And lucky for us, some of those memorable things fall into the sub-category of "inspirational." Sure, you could draw inspiration for your small business from any number of sources -- historical world leaders, sports heroes, and whatnot -- but then this writer wouldn't get to peruse the interwebs for hours at a time while geeking out over comic books, movies, and 80s cartoon series, now would he? Get your priorities straight, people! So without further ado, here are 3 geek-culture quotes and how to apply them to your business.

"With great power comes great responsibility." - Uncle Ben

This version of the quote has appeared in various Spider-Man stories and adaptations, but the original Spider-Man version of the quote was worded differently. In the first Spider-Man story in AMAZING FANTASY #15, the line read, "With great power there must also come -- great responsibility!" and it was not attributed to Uncle Ben; it appeared as a narrative caption. Other iterations of the quote -- or at least quotes of similar sentiment -- are attributed to Voltaire, Socrates, and even Jesus (From Luke 12:48, NIV: "…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.")

Debates concerning the origin of the quote aside, this is an adage that can be applied to your relationship with your employees and your business's relationship with the community.

Your Employees

Your employees are dependent upon the jobs your business provides, but they're also part and parcel of your success. If your small business is successful, you owe it to your employees to share the spoils of that success with them. If your business is struggling, you have a responsibility to your team to work diligently with them to right the ship, to the benefit of both parties.

The Community

More than ever, individuals and businesses alike are coming to understand the importance of giving back to their communities. If your small business is fortunate enough to enjoy success, it makes sense to invest some of that bounty back into the community. Your largesse will be rewarded with loyalty from your customer base. Also, it's just the right thing to do.

"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." - Yoda

That hairy little wrinkled warrior was chock-full of inspirational nuggets, and this may well be his best. Those who say they will "try" to do something are often leaving failure some wiggle room. It's a way to hedge one's bets: "Hey, I tried, right?" Instead, go for broke. Those who are bent on success more than they are afraid of failure are the ones who accomplish great things. If you're going to launch a new project -- a software application, an ad campaign, whatever-- fully commit yourself. Give your team the training, the resources, and the confidence they need to get the job done. Are you going to fail sometimes? Of course you are. Innovators miss the mark, on occasion. But by not holding back you give yourself the opportunity to do something spectacular, and spectacular things seldom happen for those who play it safe.

"Now we know. And knowing is half the battle." - G.I. Joe

Anyone who watched the 80s cartoon version of G.I. is familiar with this tagline. It's uber-appropriate in an age where information is bought, sold, marketed, and coveted. Know your customer base. Know your competitors. Know what caused the success of those who have achieved the kind of goals you want to accomplish, and know what caused the failure of those who tried and fell short. Know, know, KNOW. And then apply the knowledge; that's the other half of the battle.

Can you think of other inspirational quotes from "geeky" pop culture? Leave them in the comments!